


Rip Van Winkle Holds No Candle To You

by burning_nova



Series: Kinkmeme Fills [29]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 22:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/984473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burning_nova/pseuds/burning_nova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers sleeps for seventy years.  When he wakes up he finds gods and aliens have not only visited Earth, but a large number of people worship them and a lot has since changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Took me forever to find this again. Hope y'all like it.

Steve had expected to die when he took the plane down. He had expected to die, not to end up in some state of suspended animation and then awaken in the future. That possibility hadn’t even crossed his mind. He hadn’t really thought much about it, much less that far ahead. 

It had happened and he was slowly starting to adjust to the fact that it was all so different. He could accept technology and even changes in some of the social norms. He thought some of it was great, a lot of it really, but that was to be expected. It was what he hoped for. Nevertheless, it never occurred to him that his very faith would be…gone. 

He looked at the building that once housed his childhood church, now a temple to Odin, and couldn’t calm the unease that churned in his stomach. He took a step into the building. It was empty save for a priest who smiled at him and went about his duties attending the altar in front. 

There were no longer any pictures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Apostles, or Saints. The building had been renovated to a simple white room; clear of anything to distract the worshiper. He walked toward the altar and gazed at the photograph: a one eyed man on a great eight-legged horse

Was this any different from the hanging crucifixes? He didn’t know. 

Steve ignored the priest and left the building.


	2. Chapter 2

Christmas hadn’t really changed, at least not superficially. The carols stayed the same. Santa Claus still visited all children both good and bad. Steve decorated a small tree in his box-cutter apartment and went to the SHIELD Winter Party. 

It wasn’t so bad. He even managed to find a church that still carried out mass and had a performing choir that sang beautifully. 

He did notice the lack of mistletoe. He thought about asking but decided he would wait another year for that.


	3. Chapter 3

Clint hated Ullr.

Well, he didn’t really hate the god. It was the implication that as an archer and the best marksman in the world (and as an archer, couldn’t let that freaking fact go) he had to *love* Ullr and be devoted to him above all. The majority of SHIELD had learned the hard way that he did not appreciate this sentiment. Normally today would be one of those days where he would correct everyone, but seeing Steve Rogers in front of him with an uneasy smile and holding a small festive pastry for him didn’t bother him. 

Instead he felt an unusual pang of sympathy for the man. Seventy years in the future and Captain America himself didn’t have a clue as to how things worked. It wasn’t just technology that changed but…well everything. No, he’d save his rants for some other idiot who didn’t pay attention or Coulson, who suffered dutifully as his handler. 

Until Rogers got the hang of things (if ever) he’d spare him. So he took the bright pink cookie and said: 

“Thanks, man.” 

Rogers’ look of relief made it worth the confused looks the other SHIELD agents gave him. Sure it’d convince half of them that he was lying about Ullr, but that was their problem not his.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve isn’t really surprised that Tony’s favorite god is the goddess of war. Howard had been in the weapons business after all. The crossed swords of the Valkryies adorned at least one room of every home or office Tony owned. They’re subtle enough that Steve had almost missed them. He had caught sight of a pair while Pepper was giving him a tour of the Tower when realized how often he had seen them. 

“Howard was very dedicated to Sif.” Pepper had explained. “There are stories about Howard and Sif in the war. It convinced Howard that he was doing the right thing staying in weapons manufacturing.” she paused. 

“After Afghanistan,Tony told me about one of the more personal encounters that happened between them. I won’t go into detail but it ended with Sif commemorating Howard for his part in the war. Tony told me that he realized that Howard took Sif’s words wrongly. He wasn’t being commemorated for his ability to arm the Allies’ armies bur rather for his attempt to stop it.” She shrugged. “Only Sif really knows what she meant but it’s not like we can ask her. Come one let’s finish. I’m starving!” She said with a smile. 

Steve smiled at her as well and thought about what he had just heard from her. Maybe Tony was a better man than he had given him credit for.


	5. Chapter 5

Coulson didn’t know which one of his men had leaked the photograph. The chances that they’d face punishment was slim. Nothing compromising or even suspicious was shown in the photographs. They were nonetheless released and posted everywhere.

Everywhere was subjective, of course, but the photographs were replacing various illustrations of Thor that had stood in lieu of his image. Puente Antiguo had become a pilgrimage site.

Coulson stared at it contemplatively. He had interrogated a god. It was surreal. He fingered the cross his mother had given him when he was young. His family had been a part of the old believers, but he hadn’t actively practiced since high school. 

He wasn’t sure what to believe right now. He knew Doctor Foster, Selvig, and that Darcy Lewis were becoming devotees to Thor. Several of his own men had pictures of the god, those who were beaten by him now have less fractured egos. The god had been rendered mortal by Odin, he had still beaten them. God, their best fighters had been humbled by it.

Clint was scandalized that he had almost shot a god and frightened by its implication. What would have been done had he interfered in Odin’s plans? Would it even have been possible? The idea of free will was still debated, the extent people had in regards to gods.

What he had seen, was it divine or was there still a logical non-divine explanation? He supposed this is why it was faith. He put away the cross. He was never a man of much faith in God or any other gods, such as Odin or hell even Zeus.

At Christmas when Captain Rogers had invited him to church he wasn’t sure whether to accept it.

**Author's Note:**

> http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/10266.html?thread=23021338#t23021338
> 
> Steve goes down like in Captain America and sleeps for 70+ years. Everything was going as history set down until the SHIELD and Howard Stark started experimenting with the Tesseract as an alternate to Project Manhattan. *Handwavy big event s.a. alien invasion* catches Odin and the other Asgardians attention. So they come to Earth during the war. 
> 
> The war, having been taken off track because of *event*, ends completely when the Asgardians show they will not tolerate the mortals slaughtering themselves on top of the aliens while they're there. The day and world is saved and they leave, with Tesseract in tow. A lot of things change because the Asgardians didn't just show up in Europe but everywhere. An entire generation is affected and decides to follow these old and returned gods including people like Howard Stark. 
> 
> When Steve wakes up he doesn't quite notice at first as he's slowly eased into the facts of the future. Sure people say 'gods' and things like silly things like "Odin's beard!" but he things it can be a slip of the tongue or an attempt not to curse à la using the phrases "Jesus Christ" and "God" in vain kind of way. Slowly things are revealed to him and he's more than a bit shocked. 
> 
> Possible consequences/world building things:  
> 1) The Cold War still happens. The Soviets and communist neighbors do not deny the gods but rather interpret their minimal presence on earth as a blessing toward non-religious state. Their philosophy stands basically as such: Acknowledge the gods exist but do not rely on them or actively worship them. They gave humans reason to act independently. 
> 
> 2) Women have a higher presence in the military/combat because of Sif and warriors like the Valkyries. The goddess of war actively fights in combat so why shouldn't women be allowed to fight?
> 
> 3) Discussion of religious changes such as religious jewelry etc. For example. Instead of drawings people use pictures people managed to take of the gods during their time on Earth as worship icons/devotions. People wear a miniature Mjolnir instead of a cross etc. 
> 
> *Bonus* The events in Thor still happened. For XYZ reason Loki and Thor were not on Earth during WWII and after. Thor is still arrogant and exiled. Jane helps him but just assumes he's crazy/disoriented from her hits with the van. After he regains Mjolnir, Jane becomes a devotee of his when she just didn't actively worship the gods.


End file.
